What Does "Rob Peter to Pay Paul" Mean?
"Rob peter to pay paul" is an English idiom. It means "to resolve a financial problem or debt by taking money or resources from one source to pay off another, often resulting in a temporary solution that creates new problems."Examples in Sentences
Here are three examples of the idiom "rob peter to pay paul" used in a sentence:- He had to rob Peter to pay Paul, using his savings to cover his outstanding bills but leaving himself with no emergency fund.
- The company resorted to robbing Peter to pay Paul, shifting funds between departments to meet their quarterly targets.
- While it might provide temporary relief, robbing Peter to pay Paul is not a sustainable solution to financial challenges.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Rob Peter to Pay Paul" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.
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